Going around Azuero peninsula is always full of surprises. There is no precise weather forecast that can predict conditions in this area. By 0400 as we were sailing around Punta Mala, heading northeast, we encountered 20 to 25 knot winds with a North-South orientation. Also the constant swell slowed our speed down from a constant 10.5 knots to around 8. Therefore, we spend the morning enjoying activities on board with morning stretch class with our wellness coordinator Nancy Sheehan and a talk by naturalist Margrit Ulrich on Central America’s unique land bridge.
There is a fascination how the isthmus of Central America and especially here in the southern section of it, different organisms were capable to migrate hoping from island to island or moving when this land corridor was formed. The debate these days is around the period this land connection made possible the transit of most species. Different sources stated this time frame happened 3 to 6 million years ago.
Just before lunch time we finally reached Bona and Otoque Island. The view of hundreds of birds circling the island from the bow of National Geographic Sea Lion was special. Brown boobies and magnificent frigatebirds seemed outstandingly coordinated in what it seemed an effortless flight as they pick up the draft from the strong trade winds hitting the cliffs of Bona Island.
The rest of the afternoon we had different events including the entrance to the Bay of Panama with dozens of ships from the world anchored at the bay. On the other hand, the silhouetted skyline of Panama City was quite a surprise for some of our travelers due to the enormous amounts of buildings on the waterfront.
By the end of the afternoon once we had our Panama Canal pilot on board, we started to discover the unique landmarks of Panama, including the recently opened Biodiversity museum, the bridge of the Americas and the marvelous engineering of the lock system of the canal. We were lifted 85 feet or 28 meters at Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks. Once we contacted the continental divide and the infamous Culebra Cut, the view of the centennial bridge was remarkable and finally late at night we dropped anchor at our next destination: Barro Colorado Island.
